Machine for making filament supporting structures



Oct. 20, 1936. v F. J. MALLoY 2,058,332

MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAMENT SUPPORTING STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 21, 1935 s shetsfsneet 1 Inventor- Trank JL Malloy, Y, m.,

torneuy.

Oct. 20, 1936. 2,058,332

MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAMENT SUPPORTING STRUCTURES F. JuMALLOY Filed Dec. 2l, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor-r Frank J. Malloy,

His

ttorhey.

Oct. 270, 1936.l F. J. MALLoY 2,058,332

MACHINE FOR MAKING FLAMENT SUPPORTING STRUCTURES Filed Dec; 21, 1935 s sheets-sheet s Fig. 5.

/29 Inventor Frank J. Malloy,

//.4F by jy( His Attorney.

Patented foci. zo, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAMENT SUPPORTING STRUCTURES Frank J. Malley, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation oi New York Application December 2l, 1935, Serial No.- 55.629

6 Claims.

My invention relates to incandescent lampmaking machinery generally and more particularly to machines for making the filament supporting structure for so-called tubular incan' descent lamps.

The filament supporting structure for tubular incandescent lamps comprises a metal stay rod which may be of channel-shaped cross-section and has a plurality of support wires secured thereto at spaced intervals through the medium of a bead or pellet of vitreous insulating material such as glass. One o f the objects of my invention is to provide a machine for manufacturing such a supporting structure.

According to my invention, the machine comprises means for holding a stay rod, preferably in a horizontal position, moving 4the stay rod intermittently in the direction of its longitudinal axis, fusing vitreous beads or pellets to said stay rod `at spaced intervals and then embedding portions of support wires in said vitreous beads or pellets. The machineA performs these functions automatically, rapidly and efficiently.

Further features and advantages of my inventionv will appear from the following detailed description of species thereof and from the drawings.

-In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 are side and plan views of a machine comprising my inven- 30 tion; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one pair of stay rod holding jaws; Figs. 4and 5 are side and plan views respectively of the support wire inserting mechanism; Fig. 6 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the end xof the support wire.

inserting slide; and Fig. 'l is a side elevation` of a portion of the inserting mechanismA part way through its operation cycle.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the stay or support rod I6 is shown mounted in pairs of jaws Il, I2 and I3 at a point mid-way in the manufacturing cycle. Each pair of jaws includes a stationary jaw I4 (Fig. 3) which is mounted on a bar I5, and a movable jaw I6 which 1s pivotally mounted on a pin I'l in the stationary jaw. The jaws are drawntogether to grip the stay Iii by a spring I8 which is hooked around posts in each of the jaws. Between thejaws, the stay is engaged by supports I9 and 20 which are fastened to the bar I5 and by supports 2|, 22, 23 and 2li which are attached to a rod 25. The rod 25 extends through the supports I9 and 2U and the stationary jaws Id and when it is turned by pressure on an arm 26, it lifts the said supports and jaws from the stay I0 so that it may be removed. The rod 25 lifts the movable jaws I6 through levers 21 and pins 28 (Fig. 3). The stay I0 is placed in the jaws so as to butt against an4 arm 29 extending from bar I5.

As the manufacturing cycle begins, the bar I5 `is farther to the right than shown in the 5 drawings and the fires from burners and 3| are directed against a portion of the stay. When the stay becomes heated, afcylindrical pellet or bead 32 of glass or some other insulating material is brought into engagement therewith and 10 is fused thereto. The pellet 32 is located in a well vin the endvof a holder 'or' plunger 33 which is mounted in a bushing 34 in turret 35 and is moved upward to bring the pellet into contact with the stay. The particular holder or plunger 15 33 carrying the pellet is one of a plurality located in the turret adjacent the periphery and when in position below the stay i`slocatedv over the end of a rodV 36 (Fig. l). The rod 36 engages afcap nut 3'l on the end of the plunger 33 and 20 contractsa spring 38 as the plunger is moved upward. The rod 36 is slidably mounted in a portion of a standard 39 and is moved upward by a lever 46 which is moved by engagement of a roller` 4I thereon with a 'cam 42. The lever 25 40 pivots on a pin 43 which is supported by a bracket 44 and is moved in one direction by the cam 42 and in the other by a spring (not shown) connected thereto. After the pellet 32 is fused to the stay III, the plunger 33 is allowed to move 30 down to its former position.

Both the bar I5 and the turret 35 are now indexed, the former to bring another portion of 'the stay, to which a pellet is to be attached,

under `the lires and the latter to bring another 35 plunger carrying a pellet 32- into position below the stay.. The bar I5 is slidably mounted in ways in standards 45 and 36 in which it is held by plates 4l, 68 and 49, 5I) and 5I and is locked in position by the engagement of a roller 52 on a 40 rod 53 with notches 54`in the bottom edge 'of the bar I5. The rod 53 is slidably mounted in the standard 46 and is connected through a link 55 to a, lever 56 which is operated by a camv 5l. At the start of the indexing movement a high 45 part of the cam 51 is brought under a roller 58 carried by the end` of the lever 56, and the roller 52 is withdrawn from the notch 54 in the rod I5. The roller 58 isf-kept in' contact with the cam' 57 by a spring 59 extending between the lever 50 56 and a stationary part of the machine. The indexing is then brought about when a roller 60, which is located in one of the notches 54. of I l the bar I5, is moved to the left, carrying the bar I5 into a new position. The bar I5 is-ad- 55 vanced a distance equal to the spacings of the notches 54 and is locked in position by the roller 52 which is raised into the particular notch 54 then located above it. The indexing roller 66 is mounted on a rod 6 I which also. extends through 1| is kept against the cam 16 by-a spring 12 4 which is located between the lever 65 and the standard 46. Having indexed the bar I5, roller 66 is now pulled down out of the notch 54 by an arm 13 and is moved back to the vnext notch in order that the bar may again be indexed. The arm 13 engages the roller 64 and is mounted on a rod 14 which is moved vertically in a portion of the standard 46 -by a lever .15. The lever 15 -is connected to the rod 14 through a link 16 and 25` is actuated when a cam segment 11 engages a, roller 16 thereon. A spring 16, which extends between lever 15 and a stationary part of the machine, keeps the rod 14 up when the cam segment 11 is not in position.

The turret is mountedon a sleeve 66 which surrounds a spindle 6| extending` upward from the standard 36 and is attached to a ratchet 62.

When the turret is to be indexed to bring a plunger 33 containing a pellet 32 into position belowrthe stay I6, `the ratchet 62 is caught by a pawl 63 and turned counter-clockwise. The pawl 63 is mounted on a pin 64 extending from an arm 65 and is held against the ratchet by a spring 66 which extends between posts in the arm and the l pawl. The pawl 63 is moved by the arm 65 when a high part of a cam 61 comesl below a roller 66 on a lever 66 which is connected to the arm 65 by a rod 66. The lever 66 is mounted on a pin 6I in a'bracket 62 and a roller 66 thereon is held against the cam 61 by a spring 63 which extends between said lever and a stationary part of the machine. The turret 35 is held in place when the pawl 63 is returned by the engagement of a ball 64 with one of the notches 65 in the upper surface of the turret35, said notches being so located that the plungers will be properly aligned with the stay I6. The ball 64 is mounted in a tube 66 which is held by an arm 61 extending from the spindle 6I and is pressed into the notches 65 by a spring 66 which is locatedbetween it and a headless set screw 66.

After the pellet 32 is fused to the stay I6, the stay I6 is indexed to another position atl which the pellet is allowed to cool and when the stay is againindexed, the pellet is passed into the ame from burner |66. 'I'he flame is directed against the outwardly extending end of the pellet 32 and when said end is softened, the ame is cut off by a baille' I6| and the end of a support wireis inserted therein. The baille I6| ismounted on a lever |62 which engages a cam |63 through a roller |64 and which turns about a pin |65 extending from a portion of the standard 45. The roller |64. is kept against the cam |63 by spring |66 attached to said lever.

Filament support wires are inserted in turn in each of the insulating pellets 32 attached to the stay I6, preferably by the mechanism shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and'l. This mechanism, as .l shown in Figs. l and 2, is mounted below the pathof movement of the stay I6 on standard 45 and is operated through a lever |61 and a box type cam |66. The lever |61 engages a track in the camA |66 through a roller |66 and pivots on a pin II6 in a bracket III. The lever |61 actuates ythe entire mechanism through a link I|2 and a slide I I3, the said slide I'I3 being slidablyvmounted in a bracket I|4 which is mounted on the standard 45. The wire I'I5 that is formed into the support wire is threaded as shown in Figs. 4 and 6 through a slot in an end of slide II6, below the end of a leaf spring II1, along the side of the slide II6 and through another slot (not shown) in the slide II6 from a spool II6. The

spring II1 is fastened to the slide II 6 by a pin II6 and prevents the wire II5 from backing up as It is forced into the pellet 32. The end 4of the wire is carried upward into the pellet 32 by an upward movement of the slide II6 which, like slide II3, is slidably mounted in waysln the bracket |I4. The movement of slide |I3 is transferred to slide I I6 through a cam |26 since a' pin 2| which extends from slidel I|3 is then located in the upper sidewardly extending portion of a slot |22 `and the cam |26 is turned about a pin |23, causing the slide II6 which engages said cam through a pin |24 to be moved. The pin |23 is mounted in a block |25 which is located in ways in the bracket |I4f and is fastened to the bracket by a screw |26. 4llhe spool II6, as shown in Fig. 1, as fastened to'a plate |21 which in turn is fastened to the slide II6 and is carried upward with said slide.

'I'he slide II6 is`moved down after the end of the wire I|5 has been insertedA in the pellet 32 and additional wire is pulled from the spool II6 since the end of the wire is held by the said pellet 32. To prevent the spool II6 from over running, a brake is provided consisting of a pulley |26 which is attached to the spool II6, and a string |26 which is wound around the pulley |26v one side and a block |33 (Fig. 5) is moved in from the other side, shearing the wire ||5. The

knife |32 is fastened to a plate |34 which is sup' ported by a lever |35 and a plate |36. 'I'he lever |35 is attached to the plate I 34 by a pin |31 and is turned about a pin |36 extending from the bracket |I4 as the roller` |36 thereon passes into the upper offset portion of a cam slot |46 in slide |I3. The -block |33 is fastened to the plate |36 which is supported through a bracket |4| and a pin |42 by a lever |43, said lever |43 being turned about a pin |44 extending from the bracket II4 as a roller |45 enters the upper offset `portion of a cam slot |46 in slide II3. Plate |36 is pressed against the bottom surface of the knife |32 by a block |41 which is backed by a spring |46 and a bolt I46,vthereby assuring that the knife |32 will line up correctly with the block |33 at all times. The bolt |46 passes through a slot in the plate I 36 and is screwed into the aosassa pin |56 (Figs. 4 and 7) is carried against the end of the support wire ||5 extending below the wire end |52, bending it sideward around wire end i52. The pin |56 is carried by the end of a lever |51 which is pivotally mounted on a screw |58 on a bracket. |59 on plate |34. Said lever |57 is actuated by a link |60 connected thereto. The vertical position of the link |60 is fixed by a pinii which extends from the bracket ||4 and is engaged by a pin |52 extending from said link |50. The end of the support wire now having been bent sideward is bent upward by the pin |55, forming a hook, as shown in Fig. '1, in which the lament oithe completed lamp is held. This movement of the pin |58 is produced by the link |60 which moves upward, turning the lever |51 about the screw 858. The link |60 is connected to one arm of a lever I 53, the other arm of which is at this instant engaged by a roller |54 which is mounted through a screw and a plate |65 on the slide H3. The lever |63 lis mounted on a pin |67 which is mounted on a bracket |68 on the bracket ||4 and is normally kept in the position shown by a spring I |69 which extends between the link |50 and a screw in the bracket ill. The position o f the parts is now as shown in Fig. '7 and all parts are returned to their former positions by a partial upward movement of the slide H3. The hook formed in the end of the support wire |10 is released from the end |52 of the wire |5| when the cam |50 moves back, the wire springing back and the end |52 being pulled back into the arm |53 thereby.

The operations necessary for the machine .to fuse one pellet 32 of insulating material to the stay I0, to insert one support wire |10 in said pellet and to form the end of said support wire have now been described and the operations are repeated until pellets and support wires have been attached to the stay at regular intervals along its entire length. When the stay has been completed it is unloaded and the bar |5 is pushed back to the right and reloaded. To push the bar I5 back the roller 6o must rst be withdrawn from the notches 54 in the bar by manually pulling rod 6| down. The entire machine is `driven by the Acam shaft |`|I which is turned by means not shown.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for holding a stay rod, means for moving said stay rod intermittently lin the direction of its longitudinal axis, a heater disposed adjacent the path of movement of said stay Arod for heating said rod, a holder for a vitreous pellet disposed adjacent the path of movement of said stay rod and said heater, means for moving said pellet holder toward the heated portion of said stay rod to fuse said pellet thereto, and support wire feed mechanism located adjacent vthe path of movement of said stay rod for inserting a portion of a support wire inthe softened pellet. A 4

2. In a device of the class described, the combinatio'n of means for holding a stay rod, means for moving said stay rod intermittently in the direction of its longitudinal axis. a heater disposed adjacent the path of movement of said 4 stay rod for heating said rod, a holder for a vitreous pellet disposed adjacent the path of movement of said stay rod and said heater, means for moving said pellet holder toward the heated portion oi said stay rod to fuse said pellet thereto,

another heater disposed adjacent the path-.of

movement of said stay rod at a subsequent rest position for softening said pellet, and support wire feed mechanism also located at said subsequent rest position `for inserting a portion of a support wire in said softened pellet.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for holding a stay rod, meansl of said stay rod to fuse said pellet thereto, support wire feed mechanism located adjacentthe path of movement of said stay rod for inserting an end of a support wire in the softened pellet, and means for forming a hook on the other end of said support wire.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for holding a-stayrod, means for moving said stay rod intermittentlyr in the direction of its longitudinal axis, a heater disposedA adjacent the path of movement of said stay rod for heating said rod, holding means for vitreous pellets disposed adjacent the path of movement of said stay rod and said heater and comprising a turret, a plurality of holders for said pellets mounted on said turret, means for indexing said turret in proper time relation to the movements of said stay rod to bring one of said holders adjacent thereto, means for moving said holder toward the' heated portion of said stay rod to fuse a pellet thereto, and support wire feed mechanism adjacentl the path of movement of said stay rod for inserting a Aportion of a supp ort wire in the softened pellet.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination ofme'ans for holding a stay rod'in a substantially horizontal position, means for moving said stay rod intermittently 'in the direction of its longitudinal axis, a heater disposed` adjacent the path of movement of said stay rod for heating said rod, holding means for vitreous pellets disposed adjacent and below the path of movement of said stay rod and adjacent said heater, said holding means comprising a horizontally disposed turret, a plurality of vertically disposed holders on said turret forholding said pellets on their upper ends, means for indexing said turret in proper time relation to the movements of said stay rod to bring one of said holders under said stay rod, means for yraising, said holder toward the heated portion of said stay rod' to fuse a pellet thereto, and support wire feed mechanism adjacent the path of movement of said stay rod for inserting a portion of a support wire in the softened pellet.

6. In a device 'of the type described, the combination of a substantially horizontally disposed wire in said pellet.

FRANK J. MALLOY. f 

